OTTAWA - Astronaut Chris Hadfield mesmerized a group of schoolchildren Friday as he held a question-and-answer session from space, moderated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen.

Flying above the earth at 7.71 kilometres per second, Hadfield appeared to relish the chance to describe for his young audience what it's like to live and work in space.

"Does Canada look like you would expect it to from space?" asked Darcy McRae, 11, of Kanata, Ont.

"Does it look just like it does on a map?"

Hadfield answered each question thoughtfully and thoroughly, filling the minds of those listening with thoughts of what it would be like to be in his shoes.

Sitting on a sofa at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, the prime minister congratulated Hadfield on taking command of the International Space Station.

Hadfield said he's incredibly proud to have the opportunity, saying he's amazed at what a huge, rich country Canada is.

"I get to go from Vancouver Island and see the Arctic and see the Maritimes in 10 minutes, coast to coast," he said as he described the "smooth as silk" feeling of speeding around the globe.

"It just fills me with pride."

The Sarnia, Ont., native told the children the last place he sees as he zips across the country is the rugged rock of Newfoundland and Labrador and Cape Breton, N.S.

On Wednesday, Hadfield took control of the International Space Station — the first Canadian to do so. But it wasn't his only space 'first.'

Hadfield was the first Canadian to be a NASA mission specialist when he went on a space shuttle mission in November 1995 to dock with the Russian space station Mir. He was also the first Canadian to ever board the station, and the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm in orbit.

Hadfield is scheduled to end his current five-month space mission in mid-May.

He encouraged his young audience to think about becoming an astronaut, telling them to educate themselves, take care of their bodies and always make decisions — right or wrong — and take on challenges.

That message was quickly absorbed by Ava Dandia of Maxville, Ont., who revealed her desire to consider a space-based career.

"It could be difficult, but overall it could be kinda cool," she said. "I definitely want to do it."

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Chris Hadfield's Best Photos From Space

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"All the grains of sand in all the deserts can't compare to the number of ways I love you. #ValentineFromSpace"

Tonight's Finale: The Richat Structure. A giant gazing eye upon the Earth. pic.twitter.com/Uqv9JSh17b

An angry thunderstorm stands out against infinity. pic.twitter.com/du78qXnViK

Mt Etna, pouring heat and steam and smoke up through the snowcap. Earth never ceases to amaze. pic.twitter.com/xVjJ9oiwkW

Cloud over western Europe, rippled like water over a stone. pic.twitter.com/nlryEezlwh

Perth on the Swan to the sea, Western Australia. pic.twitter.com/MvrIuCs8eT

In this photo posted on Twitter by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on Jan. 7, 2013, the Greek Island of Corfu is shown. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield)

RE-TRANS FOR HIGHER RESOLUTION - This Tuesday Jan. 8, 2013 photo provided by NASA, taken by Astronaut Chris Hadfield from the International Space Station, shows a view of the wildfire near Burrinjuck Dam in Australia. Look closely and you can see the flames from orbit. (AP Photo/NASA, Chris Hadfield)

In this photo posted on Twitter by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on Jan. 7, 2013, corn rows of sand, tightly sculpted by wind, heat and time is shown in Saudi Arabia. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield)

In this photo posted on Twitter by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on Jan. 6, 2013, a Noctilucent Cloud, a rare super high altitude cloud barely visible from Earth, is seen at dawn in the mesosphere from International Space Station. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield)

Newfoundland and Labrador, shot without zoom, is shown in a photo posted on Twitter by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on Jan. 7, 2013. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield)

In this photo posted on Twitter by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on Jan. 5, 2013, the cities of Cleveland, Toledo, Ohio, and Detroit are shown. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield) (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield)

This photo, taken by Astronaut Chris Hadfield from the International Space Station, Tuesday Jan. 8, 2013 shows a view of the wildfires in Australia. (AP Photo/NASA, Chris Hadfield)

In this photo posted on Twitter by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on Jan. 7, 2013, the Greek Island of Corfu is shown. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield)

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield holds a Toronto Maple Leafs sign on a photo posted to his Twitter account on Jan. 6, 2013. Professing his support for Toronto did not sit well with a number of hockey fans. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press via NASA,Chris Hadfield)

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield waves goodbye at the end of a news conference from the International Space Station on a photograph taken from a television monitor Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 in St-Hubert, Quebec, Canada. Hadfield is on a five-month visit to the space station and will become the first Canadian to take command of the giant orbiting laboratory in March. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

This photo, taken by Astronaut Chris Hadfield from the International Space Station, Tuesday Jan. 8, 2013 shows a view of the wildfire near Burrinjuck Dam in Australia. Look closely and you can see the flames from orbit. (AP Photo/NASA, Chris Hadfield)